Now Open: Knead & Co., Popsons And Wisefish Poké
New York City
Wisefish Poké: The Hawaiian poke trend is here, deal with it. At this fast-casual spot, poke bowls can be customized or diners can pick one of four house options like the Hawaii style (tuna, onion, hijiki, scallion) or the Chelsea (tofu, onion, cucumber, edamame, sea beans, scallion, avocado). Find Wisefish Poké here, or in our DINE app.
Ruffian Wine Bar and Chef's Table: This small and colorful wine bar has a list 100 bottles long, 15 of which can also be ordered by the glass. The space is set up as a bar that looks into a kitchen that turns out a menu of daily changing dishes like cornish hen with wheat berries and mushrooms, and cauliflower with 'nduja and green onion. Find Ruffian Wine Bar and Chef's Table here, or in our DINE app.
The Regal: The team behind Hotel Chantelle debuted their new spot for late-night eats and cocktails in Williamsburg just before the weekend. Executive chef Seth Levine's style food is a creative approach to diner food: tuna-tartare melt, spanakopita soufflé, as well as rotating specials like chorizo meatloaf. Oh, and there's booze to go with it all. Find The Regal here, or in our DINE app.
Vandal: This 360-seat club/restaurant now open on the Bowery comes from the same people that brought us Tao and Lavo. Designed by the Rockwell Group, the two-level space's walls are covered in giant street-art style murals, with a sculpture of a 11-foot tall pink rabbit near the entrance. The international menu ranges from options like pan con tomate to crispy bao buns and apple potstickers for dessert. Find Vandal here, or in our DINE app.
Los Angeles
Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market: Bruce Kalman's pasta project has joined the destination worthy lineup at The Grand Central Market. Kalman's kiosk has seating for 16 and an open kitchen where his team is rolling and extruding pastas, turning them into dishes like spelt cavatelli with spicy fennel sausage, chickpeas and rapini. In the mornings there's a breakfast raviolo with eggs, kale, ricotta, and tomatoes as well as polenta porridge with berries, pistachios and honey. Find Knead & Co. Pasta Bar + Market here, or in our DINE app.
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Fritzi: Chef Neal Fraser is taking a bit of time off from his buzzy high end Redbird to focus on the more casual Fritzi in the Arts District. Nothing on the menu tops $19. There's a baby Iceberg wedge salad, a burger and chickens roasted in the house's wood fired rotisserie that come with a veg of the day, potato (there's a potato waffle option) and sauce of your choosing. Find Fritzi here, or in our DINE app.
Kali: Kevin Meehan and wine wizard Drew Langley have finally transformed their recurring pop-up dinner party into a brick and mortar project on Melrose. Meehan's cooking is high minded California, so expect dishes like escargot toast points, risotto with black garlic and San Joaquin cheese and toasted meringue gelato. Langley's wine options include a standard wine list alongside a "collection" list that focuses on rarer bottles sourced from private collections. Find Kali here, or in our DINE app.
Sheng Ramen: The team at Taiwan-based ramen-ya Sheng recently finished up their private tastings in Koreatown and are now serving bowls of Taiwanese-inspired bowls like one made with tomato sauce to the hungry public. There's also a black bean paste JaJiang ramen and gyoza on the menu. Find Sheng Ramen here, or in our DINE app.
San Francisco
Leo's Oyster Bar: Walking into this Ken Fulk-designed FiDi space might feel exactly like you're walking into the slicked-back hair world of a Mad Men episode. That's no coincidence: It really was inspired by one. Eat your way through lobster rolls and baked oysters (saving room for pastry chef Emily Luchetti's desserts, of course) while you sip a classic cocktail Don Draper-style. Find Leo's Oyster Bar here, or in our DINE app.
Fiorella: The sign outside the door at opening says it all: "It's pizza time." Chef/partner Brandon Gillis comes to Outer Richmond with pizza knowledge in tow, all the way from Franny's in Brooklyn. Everything is fresh and Italian, and the giant monogrammed mosaic pizza oven might just inspire a kitchen redesign. Find Fiorella here, or in our DINE app.
Popsons: A permanent location is still to come, but you can get a taste of these no-frills burgers in the temporary pop-up location. It's all about standards like cheeseburgers, chili and milkshakes, and even the salad is a good choice, with cheddar cheese and a sunflower seed-chipotle dressing. Find Popsons here, or in our DINE app.